Like You
by chiLLiE
Summary: She changed his ways for a girl then...would he do it again now, for the same girl? Rukawa fic! OOCs aplenty! pls RnR.. ;)


LiKe YoU  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Slam Dunk characters that you will meet in this story. This explains everything. Please don't sue me. No money.  
  
ChiLLiE: Expect OOCs. Lots of 'em!  
  
Chapter 1: Déjà Vu  
  
Rukawa Kaede rode his bicycle to school while listening to his headphones and dozing off simultaneously. But, he can miraculously avoid bumping into cars and passers by. When he arrived at Shohoku High, he lazily headed to his classroom. This day is just another ordinary day for Rukawa but to everybody all over the world, it was Valentine's Day. As he passed through the hallway, he was given a big Happy Valentine's Day greeting from the Shohoku girls. Their eyes turned into pink hearts as he goes by. Yes, he really is that hot in the eye of his high school. Although he is cold and expressionless, the schoolgirls of Shohoku couldn't care less about his attitude let alone his stony foxy face. When he reached his classroom, everyone was in full bloom for they enjoy receiving something from their special persons. As for Rukawa, he ignored the shower of gifts that was in front of him. Instead, he just took a nap. Unconsciously, he heard one of his classmates read a note from her boyfriend and it only reminded him of his gloomy past.  
  
~~Flashback~~  
  
"Oi! Come here!" The eleven-year-old Rukawa shouted at a little fourth grader-ish girl, who was the unlucky bystander. Again, Rukawa along with his friends was bullying kids that are younger and the ones who are half his height.  
  
The little girl did as she was told. She came up to them, her head bent down a little. "Hai?" She asked weakly. You can unmistakably see that she was afraid of them.  
  
"Do not be afraid little twerp, we won't hurt you. We only want your lunch money, that's all." One of Rukawa's friends said viciously, frightening the little girl even more. Then, a tear came trickling down her cheek. "I want my mommy!" After that, she cried louder and it annoyed Rukawa.  
  
Rukawa disregarded his friends and the poor girl for the reason that he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he had laid his eyes on sauntering past his crowd. He fell into step beside her and introduced himself. "Hey there, you're new here." No response from her, "Watashi no namae Kaede. Rukawa Kaede desu, and what's your name miss beautiful?"  
  
The beautiful girl stopped from her tracks and looked up into Rukawa's deep blue eyes. My, he is so tall, she thought. "Gomen ne. Demo, I don't get acquainted with bullies like you and your friends." She said and turned to go, leaving him behind.  
  
Then, out of the blue, he announced, "I'm not a bully anymore. I'll change my habits just for you to notice me someday..." As soon as he finished his little declaration, she turned right to the corner. "Nice meeting you too.. Yoroshiku." He muttered under his breath. He turned around to his friends and they just looked at him blankly, even the little girl they were bullying. "Nanda yo?!"  
  
"Hello!" The next day, he greeted everyone he met. This gesture shocked his own friends, even everyone in his school. He really is popular that's because he's the branded bully of the school. He started on his new goal, impressing the girl of his dreams and that made him feel like a new kid. He stepped inside his classroom and plastered a big smile on his kawaii face. "Ohayo, minna san!" Murmurs filled the room as he seated himself properly in his chair.  
  
"Is he really Rukawa Kaede that we know of?" A girl gossiped to her seatmate. "He's pulling some kind of prank again. He's done this before." Another revealed.  
  
The sensei entered the classroom and called out everybody's undivided attention. "Excuse me, minna san! Listen up," she cleared her throat and gestured her hand to the door motioning somebody to come inside, "class, meet your new classmate. Please come in!"  
  
A slender girl emerged from the door. She had the softest raven black hair that she wore shoulder length. Her lips were supple pink and her eyes twinkling with the color of ocean blue. Every boy in class just stared at her like she was some enchantress that sprang out from the floor. "Ohayo, minna san!" She greeted shyly. "My name is Ayarou Hikaru. I just transferred here from Sazo School yesterday but," a glint of embarrassment was shown in her eyes, "I got lost and went into a wrong class so I didn't get to be with you."  
  
Rukawa sat straighter. His prayers were answered. The new student, who just so happened to be his classmate, is no other than the love of his life.  
  
Sensei Kyominubo pointed at the chair five seats away from Rukawa. This is my chance, Rukawa thought happily, imagining his time with Aya-chan. Aya obliged and thanked the sensei silently.  
  
She is so damn perfect, Rukawa thought cringing.  
  
RRRRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!  
  
The bell rang, indicating that first period classes have ended. Rukawa brought together all his strength and will power to approach Aya-chan. But still he had a little sensation of bashfulness deep inside. "Ohayo, Aya- chan! Ogenki desuka?"  
  
"Oh, hi there." She responded nonchalantly, "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I just want to be your friend. Is that okay Aya-chan?" He asked himself if she would accept him or not.  
  
"I heard." Aya said softly, "I heard that you started to be nice to everybody. You are trying not to be a bully anymore. Gomen ne." She looked at him sincerely and continued. "I was being rude to you yesterday. I did not have a good mood."  
  
"Sshhh." Rukawa hushed her. "You don't have to explain anything. I really was a bully. 'Till I saw you yesterday.Anyway, friends?" He stretched his hand to her and motioned for a handshake.  
  
Aya took it and shook his hand gladly, "Hai!"  
  
Two years went by in a flash and they got closer and closer. They have become the best of friends. They did everything together. They even had an out-of-town every month adventure together with their families, bringing them closer together.  
  
The next day was a special day, Valentine's Day, a day of hearts, of love. He kept thinking days before if he was to pursue his long-term confession of love to her or just leave their beautiful relationship as it is.  
  
Homeroom class was about to end and Rukawa wrote a little note for Aya. It only took him minutes to be poetic and it really sounded good. "Phew! I think this will do." He folded the little stationary and held it out to his classmate in front of him.  
  
"Zaki-san, can you please pass this note to Aya-chan?" Rukawa asked politely and thanked her silently.  
  
"Pass this to Aya-chan." His classmates passed it over until it landed on her desk. What would she say? Will it please her? Rukawa thought hopefully.  
  
"Aya-chan, a note for you." Her seatmate whispered.  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
She looked at the note curiously. Who could this be from? She thought. The front cover of the note says: For Aya  
  
Aya opened the note and it said: "If I had given a chance to start my life all over again, I'd rather not accept it. Why not? Who knows that in that second start I might have not known the best "Aya" in my life?" Happy Valentine's Day Aya-chan!  
  
Love, Kae-chan Aya was dumbfounded. This is the sweetest thing anybody has done for me, she thought blissfully. But, just as when everything was perfect, bad news came barging in the picture. As soon as she finished processing everything in her thirteen-year-old head, she approached Rukawa. "Thank you very much for your sweet note. I really love it, demo." She couldn't handle the ache anymore. A tear came falling down her rosy cheek. "Can we talk outside, please?"  
  
Rukawa just nodded and followed her. They sat on a bench under the blossom tree and flowers fell down like snowflakes as the wind blew. "What's wrong Aya-chan?" He asked, wearing a worried expression in his face.  
  
"Kae-chan, we are leaving for the Philippines tonight." Aya tried to pull back the tears but they came flooding her eyes continuously. All Rukawa did was just stare in shock.  
  
When he snapped back from his own world of confusion and looked at her momentarily, he saw someone alone, someone who seeks for a person to be with. As Rukawa figured out, she was forced to go with her parents even though she protested like crazy. He was really fuming inside but all he could do for her is to comfort her any way he could. Deep inside he wanted to scream and let it all go. He was mad at everyone, at himself and the way he feels. "Don't cry Aya-chan." He said in the best way he knows how. Maybe she needs a hug, he thought desperately. He accepted the thought and hugged her tightly. "I know it won't be that bad." She calmed down a bit. He tried his hardest to overcome his curiousness but he has the right to know why, ne? "Demo, may I ask why? How come I didn't know about this earlier?"  
  
She let go of his embrace and wiped her tears under her eyes. "My parents wanted to manage their multi-million corporations over there. I really don't want to leave you Kae-chan.That's why I just told you know to spare any awkwardness if I told you days ago.Gomen ne, Kae-chan..." Then she started to cry again this time a little softer than before.  
  
Rukawa hushed her and held her in his arms again. He too belongs to a filthy rich family so he wanted to travel with her but everyone would not allow it, including his best friend. Rukawa went to bid her goodbye in the airport. Remembering how it all were with her and hopefully they'd be fresh memories like it all happened yesterday. But now all he could is see her off climbing the steps of the plane. "Don't go."  
  
They both promised to write letters instead. Everyday they would compose each other long letters but as months went by, their letters were becoming shorter and they not so often write letters anymore. He tried his best to contact her but they were often changing addresses. He grew a little tired, opening their mailbox every morning and find no sign of any letter or note from her. He hated her. He began to be distant and quiet. He always wore an expressionless face and pushes anybody who comes close to him away. Day by day he forgot about her little by little. He compensated his loneliness with his second love, basketball. When he was at a very young age children got bedtime stories instead his father tells him basketball stories of famous professional players and famous basketball teams in the NBA. Although he just set the thought of becoming a basketball player aside for some reason when he was growing. He took the chance by practicing the game every single day and as he enrolled to Tomigaoka Junior High School, he was incredibly an amazing player.  
  
~~End of Flashback~~  
  
Rukawa yanked, waking up from a bad dream. Like the ones that could come true. A dream about her being back in Japan, sitting beside him making up for lost time, for her absence.  
  
"The fund raising will." He heard the teacher say. But still, the thought haunted him like it would really happen. Then a girl came in the door and whispered something in the teacher's ear. He nodded and smiled as his response to her.  
  
"Listen, minna san." He cleared his throat and said. "Meet your new classmate."  
  
She turned towards the students and introduced herself. "Ohayo! I'm Ayarou Hikaru."  
  
Rukawa blinked his eyes a couple of times if he was really awake this time and when he was sure he was, one thought came to his mind, déjà vu? A/N: ChiLLiE here! I think they were not acting like little kids ne? Gomen. Gomen. I will make up for it in the next chapter a week or so. So how was it? This is my first entry here by the way. I hope it gets good reactions. Salamat po! (Thank you!) 


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